DANIEL HARVEY

ARTH 309: Analytic Research Paper

http://wac.ctl.ualberta.ca/

The Writing Process Getting started §  Explore the assignment §  Make rough notes §  Pick a tentative topic Drafting/revising §  Get feedback on your draft/revise: work on higher order

concerns: structure, argument, organization Editing §  Work on style and lower order concerns §  Proofread, consult checklist for assignment

Today

5 steps: 1.  Plan

2.  Draft

3.  Get Feedback

4.  Revise

5.  Repeat 3 & 4 as necessary

Process writing

Genre: Descriptive/summative Persuasive/argumentative Analytic, synthetic

Length: 10-12 pages, double-spaced, 12 pt font Value: 50% Due: April 8th References: Chicago Manual of Style

Notes/bibliography or Author/date system? Headings: ?

Assignment

Sources: •  Should primarily draw on current peer-

reviewed articles: •  Journal articles, review articles, published

monographs, edited volumes, textbooks, design manuals/guides, etc.

•  May use limited numbers of other sources: •  Newspaper articles, op-eds, magazines,, etc.

•  How many?

Sources

Choose a specific aspect of design/design theory, and research its historical (social, economic, political, cultural, pedagogical) context: a)  carefully define a your topic, field, and context, b)  provide background research on your topic that draws on

scholarly literature, and c)  explain how your analysis changes or transforms our

understanding the topic.

d)  i.e., create a compelling narrative about your topic and its significance

Assignment description

The purpose of this paper is to persuade a reader of your point of view. Therefore, you are expected to take a stand on an issue and use evidence to back it up. Do not simply review and analyze literature on a particular topic. Your thesis statement should be a debatable proposition – one which another person may reasonably agree or disagree.

Assignment description

Evaluation criteria: •  General impression

•  Organization (format: Chicago style, etc) •  Writing/grammar

•  Quality of research

•  Coherence/logic of argument •  Historical context

•  Methodological sophistication •  Integration of issues raised in course •  Integration of feedback

Assignment description

Potential topics

Aspects of design: •  Web design •  Design for sustainability •  Landscape design •  Architecture/urbanism •  Buckminster Fuller •  TRIZ/TIPS Theories: •  Aesthetics •  Sustainability/ecology •  Marxism •  Feminism •  Functionalism •  User experience

Three aspects to this: 1.  Understand and be able to summarize a topic (based

on course themes, theories, and/or case studies); 2.  Situate your topic within a broader academic

conversation; 3.  Take a position on your topic Approaches: •  Summarize/describe topic: what are the most important

aspects for your argument? •  Analyze: what are the component parts? •  Synthesize: persuade audience of your position

Goal/purpose

Argument: •  Demonstrates knowledge of

•  Design/design theory (summary) •  Historical context (summary/analysis)

•  Applies course theories/concepts (analysis) •  Reads case study through concepts (analysis) •  Introduces and supports compelling position (synthesis)

•  Don’t attempt to cover every aspect of a topic: focus on the most pertinent, compelling, and interesting aspects.

Purpose

What makes a good topic?

•  specific, concrete, NOT abstract/general •  analytic, NOT descriptive •  narrow focus: depth over breadth •  manageable within word count

Start general/abstract, become more specific/concrete through research

Choosing a topic

What makes a good topic?

Topics

Stronger topic: •  Depression Sustainability:

Buckminster Fuller contra Loewy •  At Home in the Outdoors, with

Ruskin and Morris: Nature and Private Space in 19th Century London

Weak topic: •  Buckminster Fuller’s

sustainable design •  Nature within Arts and

Crafts movement •  •  •  •  •  • 

Informal Logic

Response  /  Solution   Link  (because)   Reason  /  

Analysis  

Challenges  /  Problem   (How,  So  what,  Why?)

Evidence   (Case  studies,  gov’t  reports,  legal  documents,  literature  reviews,  etc.)

Order of paper

Order of tasks

Thesis statement

Must have an explicit position statement that answers the research question. Position must be: specific manageable interesting

Contains an observation, an argument, and (potentially) suggests some implications Explicitly links your position/claim to your sub-claims/reasons and evidence. “I argue X because of A, B, and C”

Introduction •  Purpose/topic/research question •  Methodology/theoretical approach •  Object(s) of study •  Thesis •  Outline

Background/literature review •  Overview of general topic/issue •  Overview of historical context •  Overview/outline of research/theories Body/sub-claims •  Analysis of chosen topic Conclusion •  Summary •  Significance/implications/”so what?”

Structure

Brevity with clarity: •  Use active, declarative sentences

•  Avoid overly-long and complex sentences •  Avoid passive constructions

•  Avoid modifiers (adjectives, adverbs) •  Avoid emotional appeals or attempts to blatantly spin the

issue/responses •  Be direct and explicit

•  “I argue that….” •  “This shows….” •  “Here we see….”

Style

Ways to introduce evidence: •  Direct quotation •  Paraphrase •  Summary

Quotation: more wordy; places focus directly on text; allows you to comment on rhetoric and form; need to provide explicit analysis; integrate into your own sentences (avoid “dropped quotations”

Paraphrase and summary: more concise; focuses attention on specific aspects of evidence; creates a persuasive narrative; keeps focus on content rather than rhetoric

Always (ALWAYS!) indicate when you draw on another’s ideas

Evidence

Always have a topic sentence that explicitly indicates what the paragraph is about, and how it fits within the larger document

Always have a transition sentence that connects

each chunk of argument to the next: •  use transitional words/phrases •  link back to main claim or sub-claim

Paragraph structure

Always comment directly on your evidence

•  Assert

•  Cite

•  Explicate: always explicitly link your evidence to your claims

Evidence

Transitional Words and Devices TWC

1 Copyright© 2008, TWC, University of Victoria. This copy is solely for the use by a student, staff, or faculty member. Any other use may be an infringement of copyright if done without securing the permission of the copyright owners.

Transitions for purpose For this purpose In order to To that end In order that So that To this end Transitions for argument or proof Accordingly Admittedly Although At this level Because Besides But Certainly Clearly, then Consequently

Despite Even so Even though Evidently For For the same reason Furthermore Granted However

In addition In any case In conclusion Indeed In fact In light of this evidence In summary Meanwhile Moreover

Nevertheless Nonetheless Obviously Of course On the one hand…  On the other hand Regardless Since That is

Therefore Thus To be sure Truly Whatever the case may be What’s  more

Transitions for exemplification, illustration, addition or clarification Additionally Again Also And then As an illustration Besides Besides that Case in point Equally important Finally First Following this further For example

For instance Further Furthermore Generally speaking i.e., (that is) In addition In another case In general In other words In particular In the same way In this case In this situation Like

More importantly Moreover Most importantly One  characteristic… Another characteristic One  example…  another example One  kind…  another kind One  way…  Another way On this occasion Point in fact Pursuing this further

Specifically Such as Take the case of That is to say The final type The first (second, third) category The last group The most important component The most important example…  The next example

The next part To add To clarify To demonstrate To explain To illustrate To put it another way To rephrase it What’s  more

Transitions for emphasis or repetition Absolutely Always As I have noted As I have said As has been noted Assuredly By all means

Certainly Definitely Emphatically Eternally Extremely Forever In any case

In brief Indeed In fact Naturally Never Nobody denies No doubt

Obviously Of course Perennially Positively Surely Surprisingly To be sure

To repeat Undeniably Undoubtedly Unquestionably Without a doubt Without reservation

Transitions for comparison and contrast Although After all As Balanced against But By comparison Compared to Conversely

Despite Even though However In comparison In contrast In the same way In spite of Like

Likewise Meanwhile Nevertheless Nonetheless Of course Once in a while On the contrary On the one

hand….  On  the other hand Otherwise Similarly Still Though Unlike Up against

Vis à vis Where Whereas While Yet

Transitional Words and Devices TWC

2 Copyright© 2008, TWC, University of Victoria. This copy is solely for the use by a student, staff, or faculty member. Any other use may be an infringement of copyright if done without securing the permission of the copyright owners.

Transitions for concession and exception Admittedly Although this may be true Certainly Despite

Granted However In spite of It is true that Maybe

Nevertheless Nonetheless Of course Of course, it is true that

Once in a while Perhaps Regardless Sometimes Still

Though To be sure True Yet

Transitions for cause and effect Accordingly Another cause Another effect As a result

Because Consequently For For that reason

For this reason On account of Since So

The first (second, third) cause / effect The most

important cause / effect Therefore

Transitions for narration and process After After a few hours (days, months, years) After that Afterwards Almost Always As As soon as

At first At last At the same time Before Before long By this time Earlier Eventually Finally First…  second…

third Firstly… secondly…  thirdly Formerly Frequently Immediately In the first place In the meantime Later Later on

Meanwhile Nearly Never Next Now Once Previously Soon Subsequently The first

(second, third) step The next step The last step Then Thereafter Two hours (days, months, years) later When/While

Transitions for description Above Behind Below Between

Beyond In In back of In front of

Inside Nearby Next to On

On  one  side…  On  the other side Outside Over

The least important The most important Under

Transitional chains Basically... similarly... as well First(ly)... second(ly)... third(ly)... Generally... furthermore... finally In the first place... also... lastly In the first place... just in the same way... finally

In the first place... pursuing this further... finally In the light of the... it is easy to see that In  this  case…  in  another  case To be sure... additionally... lastly

Transitions for conclusion or summarization Accordingly As a result As I have said As I have shown Consequently

Finally Hence In brief In conclusion Indeed

In final analysis In final consideration In general In sum

In summary Lastly On the whole Summing up To conclude

To summarize To sum up Therefore Thus

References

Kirszner, L.G. & Mandell, S.R. (2006).Writing first: Practice in context (3rd  ed.).  Boston  ,  MA:  Bedford/St.  Martin’s. The OWL at Purdue (2007). Transitional devices. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/574/02/ Transition words (n.d.). Retrieved November 1, 2007, from http://larae.net/write/transition.html The Writing Centre at the University of Wisconsin – Madison (2006). Using transitions. Retrieved November 1, 2007,

from www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/Transitions.html

•  Get feedback from a “trusted reader” •  Consider using other students in the course or the

Centre for Writers •  Ask readers to read for specific purposes: thesis,

structure, transitions, development of a particular paragraph or idea.

•  Focus on higher-order concerns before lower-order ones

Drafting/Revising

Towards the due date, switch your focus from higher-order concerns (arrangement, arguments, evidence) to lower-order concerns: proofreading, grammar, citation format, grammar/spelling

Don’t Hand in a First Draft

Click to edit Master text styles Second level

•  Third level -  Fourth level ·  Fifth level

Click to edit Master title style